Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-06-17
Wa Made Them F0GS.
GENERALS AvERILL AND LEE
WHAT LINCOLN SAID OF
THEIR FRIENDSHIP.

largest crowd ever seen In Staun'
ton assembled to-day to witness
the celebration Of the Confederate
Memorial Association. The chief
attraction was the presence of Gen.
eral w. w. Averill, the orator Of
the occasion. The column was a
mile long, consisting of military
and civil organizations, &c, In an
elegant carriage drawn By four
black horses rode Governor Lee and
General AverilI, and as they pass
ed they we're frequently cheered,-
After the parade speaking took
place in the Opera Honse, which
was crowded TO suffoeation. ln In
troducing General Averill, Gov
ernor Lee referred to their long &C.
quaintance, beginning when both
we're boys at West Point, and to
their subsequent association 10 the
old army. Their commands had
met face to face in battle during
the war that followed, and he was
prepared to testify that no braver
men contended on either side than
the troops commanded by that gal
liant officer whose warfare was upon
men, and not upon helpless women
and children. In closing, the Gov
ernor referred to the obliterations
Of sectional lines and the reunion OF
the people, as shown By the pres
ence of Federal general joining
with Southern veterans in honor
ing Confederate dead.
A feature of General Averilps
speech was this /: "Amid the young
er generation before me | recognize
| the faces Of those who must have
been my comrades of the war. We
! certainly are comrades in several
relations. In our campaigns and
battles the same sky covered us
the same storms drehched us, We
we're bespattered by the same mud
and begrimed by the same dust
| and our marches and fatlgues were
contemporaneous and coequal. We
assaulted each other until we be
came we'll acquainted. With re
gard to the personal feelings exist
| ing between those who were ac
quainted with each other, or were
friends when the war divided them
III may mention a conversation
once had with President Lincoln
which may be of interest. 1t wa
shortly after the first great cavalry
battle OF the war. at Kelly's Ford
on the Rappahannock, early il
| 1863. The President came dOwI
| to visit the Army OF the Potama'
opposite Fredericksburg, and Il
review it. He did me the honor 4
send for me to visit him in th
evening. We had an interview o
| an hour 10 his tent. He asked m
many questions about the army
and especially the cavalry servic
and it's expense. He expresses
great interest in the fight we hs
had at KeHy's Ford, and inquire
particularly sbout the Confederat
commanders. told him how tn
tight came to pass, and showed hir
a note which I had received fror
General Fitzhugh Lee, with refel
ence to his wounded. He put o
| his spectacles and read it careful
Ily. Then he asked: Were 20
and General Lee friends 2
"'Certainly,' said /; always ha
BEEN
"Whst would happen, he asked
sshould you meet on the battle
6eIdT
"'One or both of us would be bat
Ily hurt or killed. | said, 'oblige
to be, Mr. President
"He leaned that pictureque an
mournful face of his on his hant
and after a pause, said with em'
ton, oh my God, what a dreadfI
thing is a war like this, where pc
sonal friends must slay each oth'
and die as friends
81 told him that 'undoubtedI
Lee thought he was doing his dut,
and [ knew that | was dong mine
"Yes,' said Mr.. Lincoln, Il III
derstand your feelings, but theI
are many who 'wouldthink that yc
ought to hate each other
"FinalIy he said: General "A
eril, l wish you would give mo th
letter of Lees
"'Surely, take it, Mr.. President
| replied, and l have been told /
one of his biographers that he ca
ried the note in his pocket for
. long time. and would frequent
show It,"
The General was enthusiastical
/, cheered during his speech. Brl
addresses we're made by General
ID. Imboden, Hon. A. j. Mccall,
, New York, and Carlton McCartb
of Richmond. Both Generals Go
don, of Georgia, and Jackson,
Tennessee, were expected, b'
neither came. The celebration vi
a success, and was witnessed |
ten thousand people.
The trial of Ann Ohner, in Il
> Circuit Court OF Hampshire cou
ty, w. Va, charged with the mu
der of Benz. Brook, was lnterrup